Get to know Seattle Tempest #0 Ikran Elmi

By Becca Weinberg

Seattle, WA - Growing up in the Seattle ultimate frisbee community, Ikran Elmi has made it her mission to give back to those that have paved the way for her professional success on Seattle Tempest. The versatile handler has become a fan favorite through her two seasons with the team, and continues to shine a bright light on the welcoming community that ultimate frisbee holds. 

Elmi first learned to play at Aki Kurose Middle School in South Seattle, which is known to have dominant teams that are a large part of the school’s culture. “It was a popular sport, and my school was one of the top teams in the area,” said Elmi. She joined in 6th grade after being recruited by friends who were already playing, and has continued competing every year since. Elmi attended Rainier Beach High School next, and played a pivotal role in creating the school’s first girls ultimate frisbee team. At both schools, she created strong friendships with her teammates that encouraged her to continue playing. Ikran was also standout handler for the University of Washington women’s ultimate frisbee team, leading them deep into the postseason for multiple years in a row. 

Now with Tempest, Elmi has felt those same bonds strengthen through the team’s chemistry. “I continue to play for Seattle Tempest because growing up, I looked up to the coaches and players in Seattle’s ultimate scene,” she said. “Watching them compete and represent the city made me want to do the same- representing the people and places that taught me everything about frisbee.”

While competing for Tempest, Elmi continues to coach in the Seattle area and give back to those who have propelled her successful career. She started coaching at Seattle Cascades youth clinics while in college, and currently coaches the Franklin High School junior varsity mixed team. “Coaching is a way for me to give back to the coaches and organizations that supported me throughout high school and college, especially AgeUP,” said Elmi. “I wouldn’t be where I am without their guidance, and now I get to pass that support on to the next generation.”  AGE UP is known to be run primarily by Seattle-based players and coaches who also grew up in the South end community and wanted to provide opportunities for young players to have chances for growth and development. 

In two seasons with Tempest so far, Elmi ranks consistently in the top 80th percentile in the Western Ultimate League (WUL) for completions, throwing yards, and assists with totals of 222 completions, 1,560 throwing yards, and 15 assists. As a speedy handler, Elmi creates space in the backfield to set up opportunities for downfields cutters. Elmi enjoys the opportunities Tempest has provided her with to continue competing with teammates that she grew up with in Seattle. “One of my favorite things about playing with Tempest is getting to play alongside my friends from the South end people I’ve been playing with since middle school,” she said. “It’s special to continue taking the field with them, and the camaraderie we share makes the experiences even more meaningful.” She also enjoys having friends and family fill the stands to watch the team. “There’s nothing like seeing them in the stands, cheering us on,” she said. 

While playing with childhood friends, Elmi also cherishes the bonds she’s created with new teammates each year. During her first season with Tempest, she quickly felt included in the team atmosphere, which helped her feel more comfortable traveling to away games with new people. “We had some downtime, so we watched the game by the pool together, and that’s when it really hit me what a team should feel like. Everyone was engaged in their own way, but there was this sense of connection,” remembered Elmi. 

This season, Elmi returns with excitement for playing with both new and returning players and competing for another postseason appearance. “I love playing for my teammates. It makes every practice and game more exciting,” she said.” I’m especially looking forward to getting back into training, working out together, and having those hangouts outside of practice that make our team.” Keep an eye out for #0 as the Tempest season gets underway in March.

Instagram: @CirclingSeattleSports Twitter: @CirclingSports Threads: @CirclingSeattleSports Tiktok: @CirclingSeattleSports Facebook: Circling Seattle Sports BlueSky: @circlingseasports.bsky.social

〰️

Instagram: @CirclingSeattleSports Twitter: @CirclingSports Threads: @CirclingSeattleSports Tiktok: @CirclingSeattleSports Facebook: Circling Seattle Sports BlueSky: @circlingseasports.bsky.social 〰️

Check out our previous Seattle Tempest articles here.

Check out our previous articles with writing for CSS by Becca Weinberg here, and her work with Lookout Landing here.

Cover photo provided by the Seattle Tempest.

Support the work of Circling Seattle Sports by checking out our merchandise!